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Two Creation Stories
- Thread starter Eman111
- Start date
Levite
Higher and Higher
Genesis 1 and 2 represent two different strata of early Biblical text, probably two versions of the creation story from the E-school and the J-school of authorship. Probably because the two versions were widely known and popularly told, the Redactor simply used both stories in sequence, with slight linguistic alteration to make the two fit better together. The two stories are merely an example of the agglomerative nature of Biblical literature.
Jewish text is not presumed to be entirely literal. There is a long-standing principle in Jewish scholarship dibra Torah k'l'shon b'nai adam, "The Torah speaks as people speak;" which means that we presume that the language of the Torah includes metaphors, similies, idioms, hyperbole, and other linguistic embellishments, and also that we presume that Torah sometimes uses parable, allegory, or exegetical narrative (midrash) to illustrate its points.
That said, whether there is any factuality to the Genesis narrative is simply irrelevant. It is ultimately simply unimportant to Judaism precisely how or in what order or with what words God created the universe, or people; what is important is, how do we behave toward one another, and how do we behave toward God.
Also, I think it is deeply unproductive to look for a single, ultimate, exclusive truth. There are many truths. Nor is it productive to think in black-and-white terms about scriptural text as "The Word of God." God may give the message to the prophet, but human beings write words, and those words can be unclear, or even mistaken. We do what we can to parse out, over time, over generations, an evolving sense of what we believe God wishes of us, using Torah as a guide and template, not as an inerrant set of dicta. Also, I think one of the greatest strengths of Judaism and Jewish text is that it is not designed to provide ultimate answers, but to inspire questions; and that is, in some ways, entirely antithetical to the concept of inerrant literalism.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
This is incorrect. It's more like......
Day One...Light
Day Two... Heaven
Day Three...everything that is green and bears seed.
Day Four...the seasons are set into order....the sun, moon, and stars
Day Five...everything that swims or flies.
Day Six...everything that walks...including Man
Obviously, there are some discussions to make about which items are out of order...
some things need be in position before others.
But, we can do that portion later. For now, the list continues.
Day Seven...all is created...God rests...no more will be created.
Chapter Two.
God takes a man and places him into ideal living conditions.
His life is greatly extended, as the conditions allow it to be so.
Nothing will harm him. He is sheltered.
This isolated living is terminal.
Without a mate, the man is doomed to a solitary life.
A deep sleep is administered.
A rib is removed.
The rib is increased to full stature as a woman.
This is the basic structure of Scripture...Chapter One, and the intro of Chapter Two.
Creation of Man...Day Six....leans to evolution.
Chapter Two is an alteration in the course of Man's development,
and has all the earmarks of a science experiment.
Isolation of a test subject.
Ideal living conditions for the subject.
Anesthesia, surgery, cloning, and genetic engineering.
Adam was given his genetic twin sister for a bride.
Eve had no navel.
Thief , the view of Gen.2 becomes rather imaginary as the human mind comes into play - and no doubt the alienated mind of most Humans. It is the beginning of confusion and illusion that have perverted and dogged human understanding of God (with retrospect I may add). It is the reason why scripture tells us that the whole world is deceived Rev.12v9. And the time when the god of this world satan made his first appearance. He contradicted the Creator from the outset Gen.3, and people (in their limited human wisdom) have followed him ever since Rom.1v22.
Soon now they will wake up to the nightmare they have created on this earth meddling with the Word of God :sad4:.
Soon now they will wake up to the nightmare they have created on this earth meddling with the Word of God :sad4:.
Last edited:
Politesse
Amor Vincit Omnia
They are both true, in their way. They are also myths, and that means that trying to approach them literally will lead to confusion. Don't look at the words as testimony in a court case. Look at them as a story told to you by your grandfather about his early life. Has he forgotten many details in his long years? Very probably. But he's telling you the story because it still means something to him, and you will learn from him if you listen, regardless of whether the details are still factually accurate.
Faithfreedom
i gotta change my avatar
lol....Adam as well?
Thief
Rogue Theologian
Muffled
Jesus in me
On the History Channel it was said that the Hopi Indians believe that the world has been destroyed four times and the fifth is coming soon.
If it were relevant there could be five creation stories but all God is interested in telling are the original creation and the most current creation because He tells us things on a need to know basis.
Since the two creation stories are about two different creations it doesn't make sense to try to make them coincide.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
So Eve had a mother?
sojourner
Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
No, because Eve wasn't a real person. She is a character in an allegorical story.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
No, because Eve wasn't a real person. She is a character in an allegorical story.
So you've written off Genesis?